A variety of high energy-density batteries have become available in recent years. Among these batteries, the lithium/iodine-poly-2-vinylpyridine solid electrolyte batteries have become well known. These batteries, although very reliable, are limited as to the current they are capable of producing due to, among other things, halide ion transport and the formation of a high resistance discharge product i.e., lithium iodide.
Other high energy-density batteries include the thionyl chloride battery and the sulfur dioxide battery. These batteries use a lithium anode and an electrolyte solution of a lithium salt dissolved in thionyl chloride or sulfur dioxide, respectively. Since sulfur dioxide (SO.sub.2) is a gas, it must be maintained under pressure to be a liquid at ambient temperatures. These batteries make use of lithium ion transport and deposit the LiCl discharge product over a high-surface-area cathode current collector, such as porous carbon. Consequently, the problems associated with the formation of a high resistance discharge product can be avoided. Despite the unusually high energy density of these batteries, even higher energy densities are desirable.
Oxyhalide batteries have been described in a paper by J. S. Auborn, et al entitled "Lithium Anode Cells Operating at Room Temperature in Inorganic Electrolytic Solutions" in J. Electrochem. Soc. 120, 1613-1619 (1973). This paper also describes batteries in which dissolved bromine is discharged from a phosphorous oxychloride-lithium salt solution and in which dissolved chlorine is discharged from various liquid oxychloride-lithium salt solutions. Related work was reported recently by Liang entitled "A New High Energy Density Battery System" in XII International Conference on Medical and Biological Engineering, Jerusalem, Israel, August 19-24, 1979. This system adds bromine to a thionyl chloride-lithium salt solution. However, the thionyl chloride should discharge preferentially in such a system.
A lithium anode battery using an ICl.sub.3 cathode and an organic electrolyte is known. However, despite the use of ICl.sub.3, discharge does not proceed to any great extent in this battery.
To minimize the loss of volatile constituents and any reaction thereof with ambient environment, cells of this type are usually sealed as soon as possible after the cell components are brought together.